The public hearing session conducted by the UT administrator Shivraj Patil on Monday evoked poor response again, as only four complainants turned up with their nationaplaints.

The public hearing session conducted by the UT administrator Shivraj Patil on Monday evoked poor response again, as only four complainants turned up with their nationaplaints.

The authorities received applications from as many as five residents with a request to appear before the administrator. The last session was held on February 4, in which only eight people had turned up.

Over the past one year, public hearing sessions have been evoking poor response from complainants as they get cancelled at the last minute.

Shashi Shankar Tiwari, chairman Chandigarh Territorial Congress Colony Cell, appeared before the administrator to highlight irregularities in the department of food and supplies.

Tiwari apprised the administrator that despite meeting officers of the department over the issue of problems being faced by ration card holders in city, no officer has taken any interest to solve their problems. He urged Patil to direct the officials to look into the matter and take immediate and appropriate measures to curb the menace of diversion of essential commodities in black market by fair-price shops in connivance with the department officials.

The delegation also requested for implementation of Chandigarh Public Distribution System orders 2002 as amended by the government of India in 2009.

Patil assured to look into matter, but the delegation seemed unhappy with the way their complaint was heard. “The administrator appeared to be apprehensive about the issue we raised,” Tiwari said.

Similarly a delegation of staff nurses working on contractual basics at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital in Sector 16 (GMSH-16) met the administrator regarding their salary issue. Led by Kamaljit Singh, the delegation told Patil that the staff nurses working on contractual basics at the hospital were drawing a meager salary of Rs 6,500 per month. They said that the staff nurses working on contractual basics at Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32 were getting a monthly salary of over Rs 18,000.

Unhappy with the treatment meted out to the contractual nurses at GMSH-16, Patil said the matter must be looked into carefully and steps must be taken to ensure that the outsourced staff does not suffer.

“We are against exploitation and we take the issue of wages being paid to the outsourced staff seriously,” he said.

Sadhvi Neemila, a resident of Sector 44, appeared before Patil with a request for re-allotment of land to Vishwas Mediation Centre. The estate office had allotted a land to Vishwas Mediation Centre for construction of religious medication centre, but they failed to make the payment within stipulated time period.

Desh Raj Arya, a resident of Nayagaon approached the administrator with a complaint about alleged illegal grabbing of land in Nayagaon.

A quick follow up of the last public hearing session held on February 4 was also done. Regarding the complaint of Naresh Kumar Sharma who had requested for grant of pension to retired and serving employees of Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB), it was informed that the CHB was asked to answer certain queries by the finance department.

Public hearing sessions held in 2012November 19: number of complainant 3November 5: number of complainant 11October 1: number of complainant 11September 3: number of complainant 16August 6: number of complainant 16July 2: number of complainant 13March 19: number of complainant 20

Public hearing sessions held in 2013February 4: number of complaints 8March 18: number of complaints 4